Second Generation Educational Attainment

Education is a proven determinate of one’s income. From a policy point of view an important question is whether the children of the first-generation immigrants are capable of acquiring a good socio-economic position, and if so, to what extent. Since educational attainment is a strong determinant of the labor market position and related variables like income, a focus on the educational achievements of the second-generation makes sense. Rather, if these second generation immigrants are being educated, entering the work force and likely raising children in the US, it is likely that their education will be passed on. So if there is that effect of having immigrant parents on education, is this affect the same for every country of origin? Likely not. As mentioned earlier, every country has its own customs and beliefs, and thus, its own views on the importance of school. Do these nation specific differences give different effects on the educational attainment of the children of immigrants? And if so, which countries have stronger positive effects on their second-generation

Prevalence and Speciation of Non-albican Vulvovaginal Candidiasis in Zaria

Candida species are versatile microorganisms which live normally in the skin, mouth, gastrointestinal tract, and genitourinary tract. In healthy people, Candida species usually live as benign commensals and produce no disease. However, they are the most common cause of fungal infections in immunosuppressed individuals, leading to a range of non-life threatening mucocutaneous diseases to threatening invasive systemic diseases. Among Candida spp, the more important pathogenic species are Candida albicans, C. glabrata, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis and C.krusei. The research set out to determine the prevalence of non albicans vulvovaginal candidiasis and pattern of distribution of the different Candida species in Zaria.A cross sectional study of female genital swabs collected from 400 women with features suggestive of vulvovaginal candidiasis attending Gynaecology clinics in four selected hospitals in Zaria. The swabs collected between a period of February 2012 to March 2013 were analysed by microscopy and culture in the Medical Microbiology laboratory, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.  Data on demographic details were also obtained; using structured questionnaires. Of the 400 patient samples examined 163(40.8%) were culture positive for Candida spp. Of these 163 isolates, 84 were germ-tube negative giving a prevalence of 21% for non albicans candida (NAC). Of the 84 isolates of NAC, 51(60.7%) were Candida parapsilosis, 18 (21.4%) were Candida tropicalis, while 15 (17.9%) were Candida glabrata. Vulvovaginal candidiasis was found to be more prevalent among the age group 21-30 years in general. Vulvovaginal candidiasis is a prevalent infection among women. More than half of the infections are due to non-albicans Candida.  NAC is becoming increasingly relevant in the aetiology of Vulvovaginal candidiasis and health providers need to be aware of this as the treatment options differ. Keywords: Non albicans Candida, Vulvovaginal candidiasis, Vulvovaginiti

An Assessment of the Effects of Root and Tuber Expansion Project (RTEP) on the Livelihood of Cassava Processors in Kwara State, Nigeria

The study was carried out to assess the effects of the Root and Tuber Expansion Programme (RTEP) on the livelihood of project beneficiaries in Kwara State, Nigeria. A 3-stage sampling technique was adopted for the study, selecting a total of 80 cassava processors from two Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) zones in the State. Structured interview schedule was used as instrument to elicit primary data from processors. Descriptive statistics was used to describe the socio economic characteristics of the respondents. The t-test was used to test the hypotheses on the relationship between the income and livelihood of RTEP beneficiaries and non beneficiaries, while those on the socio economic characteristics was tested using the Mann-Whitney (U) test. The findings of the study showed that RTEP provided more than 73 percent of total cassava processing equipment in the study area. The study further revealed that there was no significant difference in the socio-economic characteristics and livelihood of RTEP and Non RTEP participants. There was however a significant difference in their income. Amongst others, the study recommended massive investment in subsidizing critical cassava processing equipment, and provision of micro-credit at low interest rates to cassava processors

ABSENCE OF mecA GENE IN METHICILLIN-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS ISOLATES

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has emerged as a serious threat to public health, causing both hospital and community-associated infections. The gold standard for MRSA detection is the amplification of the mecA gene that codes for the production of the altered penicillin-binding protein (PBP2a) responsible for classical methicillin resistance. This work determined the nature of methicillin-resistance observed in staphylococcal isolates. Staphylococcus aureus isolates with phenotypic resistance to methicillin (oxacillin) were tested for the carriage of the mecA gene by multiplex PCR to detect and type the SCCmec. The isolates were tested for the production of the altered PBP2a by latex agglutination test and β-lactamase production/hyper production by microplate Nitrocefin assay. None of the isolates hybridized with any of the 16 sets of primers representing the five major SCCmec types, nor contained the mecA gene; and none was positive for the gene product PBP2a determined by the MRSA screen latex agglutination test. Majority of the isolates 72.2 % (26/36) tested positive for β-lactamase production while 11/26 (42.3%) were β-lactamase hyper producers. The MRSA phenotype observed in the isolates was not the classical mecA-mediated resistance, but most probably due to hyper-production of β-lactamase. Reports of loss of the mecA gene (believed to be stable) during storage and the fact that all PCR detection of mecA gene reported in Nigeria were done outside the country calls for attention on building local capacity for prospective molecular screening for MRSA in clinical and environmental isolates to adequately document their prevalence and monitor the increase. Appropriate guidelines should also be drawn up for the proper screening and reporting of MRSA isolates with the establishment of regional Reference Laboratories

Strengthening cyber policy research centres in the Global South

The Centre for Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law (CIPIT) is an independent center operating within the Research and Innovation Department, Strathmore University (Nairobi, Kenya) and now separate from the Law School. Regarding the broader ICT community which includes governmental policy makers, practitioners, and average citizens, a primary point of engagement for CIPIT is its database for ICT laws and policies in Africa (www.ictpolicy.org). The impact of cyberspace on so-called “illiberal” African governments (and vice-versa) is currently a topic critical to civil society, businesses, human rights and democracy activists. The report provides an update on CIPIT activities and aims

Measles outbreak investigation in an urban slum of Kaduna Metropolis, Kaduna State, Nigeria, March 2015

Introduction: despite availability of an effective vaccine, the measles epidemic continue to occur in Nigeria. In February 2015, we investigated a suspected measles outbreak in an urban slum in Rigasa, Kaduna State, Nigeria. The study was to confirm the outbreak, determine the risk factors and implement appropriate control measures. Methods: we identified cases through active search and health record review. We conducted an unmatched case-control (1:1) study involving 75 under-5 cases who were randomly sampled, and 75 neighborhood controls. We interviewed caregivers of these children using structured questionnaire to collect information on sociodemographic characteristics and vaccination status of children. We collected 15 blood samples for measles IgM using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay. Descriptive, bivariate and logistic regression analyses were performed using Epi-info software. Confidence interval was set at 95%. Results: we recorded 159 cases with two deaths {case fatality rate = 1.3%}. 50.3% (80) of the cases were male. Of the 15 serum samples, 11(73.3%) were confirmed IgM positive for measles. Compared to the controls, the cases were more likely to have had no or incomplete routine immunization (RI) [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) (95% confidence interval (CI)]: 28.3 (2.1, 392.0), contact with measles cases [AOR (95% CI)]: 7.5 (2.9, 19.7), and having a caregiver younger than 20 years [AOR (95% CI)]: 5.2 (1.2, 22.5). Measles serum IgM was positive in 11 samples. Conclusion: we identified low RI uptake and contact with measles cases as predictors of measles outbreak in Rigasa, Kaduna State. We recommended strengthening of RI and education of care-givers' on completing RI schedule

Aqueous extract of Carica papaya Linn. roots potentially attenuates arsenic induced biochemical and genotoxic effects in Wistar rats

In Africa, the fruit, leaf, seed and roots of Carica papaya Linn. are generally used to treat a variety of diseases such as malaria, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we evaluated the protective potentials of aqueous extract of C. papaya roots on arsenic-induced biochemical and genotoxic effects in Wistar rats. Rats were induced intraperitoneal with sodium arsenate (dissolved in distilled water at 3 mg/kg body weight) for 21 days and the animals were administered simultaneously with 200 mg/kg body weight vitamin C, 100 and 150 mg/kg body weight of the C. papaya Linn. root aqueous extract once daily for three weeks. Results obtained reveals that activities of plasma 8-OHdG, serum lipids concentration, atherogenic index (AI), coronary artery index (CRI), aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin levels were elevated significantly (p < 0.05) and catalase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, plasma hematological profile were progressively reduced (p < 0.05) in arsenic-alone exposed rats. Significant increase in the quantity of chromosomal aberrations (CA), micronuclei (MN) frequency, oxidative damages in the bone marrow cells from arsenic alone rats was observed. Though, mitotic index scores in these cells were progressively reduced (p < 0.05). In animals administered with aqueous extract of C. papaya roots and vitamin C, the altered parameters were significantly recovered towards the levels observed in normal control rats. These results suggest that aqueous C. papaya roots preparations might have therapeutic potential as a supplement that can be applied in arsenic poisoning

Severe childhood malaria syndromes defined by plasma proteome profiles

BACKGROUND Cerebral malaria (CM) and severe malarial anemia (SMA) are the most serious life-threatening clinical syndromes of Plasmodium falciparum infection in childhood. Therefore it is important to understand the pathology underlying the development of CM and SMA, as opposed to uncomplicated malaria (UM). Different host responses to infection are likely to be reflected in plasma proteome-patterns that associate with clinical status and therefore provide indicators of the pathogenesis of these syndromes. METHODS AND FINDINGS Plasma and comprehensive clinical data for discovery and validation cohorts were obtained as part of a prospective case-control study of severe childhood malaria at the main tertiary hospital of the city of Ibadan, an urban and densely populated holoendemic malaria area in Nigeria. A total of 946 children participated in this study. Plasma was subjected to high-throughput proteomic profiling. Statistical pattern-recognition methods were used to find proteome-patterns that defined disease groups. Plasma proteome-patterns accurately distinguished children with CM and with SMA from those with UM, and from healthy or severely ill malaria-negative children. CONCLUSIONS We report that an accurate definition of the major childhood malaria syndromes can be achieved using plasma proteome-patterns. Our proteomic data can be exploited to understand the pathogenesis of the different childhood severe malaria syndromes